Main menu

You are here

CDC Emerger - Allan Liddle

Despite my love and success with my favoured Deer Hair Emerger, Comparadun Olive and Dirty Duster when chasing surface feeding Scottish Wild River Browns, there are times when even these are ignored by the fish and a more delicate and finer approach is required which is when I finally concede, put the deer hair and hackle flies aside and reach for the CDC.

CDC is such a versatile material and often overlooked, perfect for both dries and nymphs for different reasons, the obvious one on dries being the natural water resistance and floatability (nymphs its movement and the feathers ability to trap tiny very natural looking air bubbles that I feel is the real attraction to using it sub-surface)

The down side I have with CDC is the fact it takes a little bit of TLC both as you fish it over a prolonged spell as well as immediately after it has been successful which I find at times very frustrating especially in a hatch which may be limited so spending time getting a fly back into service isn’t something I like to do (especially as the deer hair or hackled alternatives pretty much just need a sharp false cast and away you go onto the next target). But yes it can pay to opt for a finer and more delicate dry (and tippet thickness) especially when fish are proving ‘fussy’, most likely this is when they are ‘sipping’ in flat slow areas giving them a lot of time to look over your given offerings.

Essentially I have three reserve ‘go to’ standby CDC dries; this one, my Blue Wing Olive CDC Emerger and a small flatter profile Black Gnat all of which I am very confident with and all command a place in the armoury.

This one is simplicity itself to tie and has the added bonus of not being too shabby on stillwaters either (loch trout can be very picky also), why not rattle a few of these up just for those times you face fish that need that more delicate touch.

Dressing:

Hook: Partridge K4AY Patriot Barbless Grub and Buzzer #12 - 18

Thread / Body: Uni 8/0 yellow thread (Veniard)

Wing: x2 CDC feathers

Thorax: Olive Glister (Veniard)

Tying Sequence:

Step 1 Set hook in vice and catch in thread

Step 2 Run thread round bend of hook and bring back to head forming thin taper to produce fly body